Rangers' rivals sack their manager

Stafford Rangers boss Matt Elliott is not writing off Hyde's chance of staying in the Blue Square North - despite their survival rivals sacking their manager.

Neil Tolson has been dismissed from his post at Ewen Fields after eight years, two-and-a-half as boss, with players Scott McNiven and Steve Halford appointed caretakers until the end of the season.

Former Walsall striker Tolson was axed after a disastrous week saw them lose two games in a row late on, while Rangers picked up back-to-back draws to dump Hyde into the last relegation place by two points.

Both teams now go into the last five games fighting for their lives, with Elliott's men headed to Workington on Saturday while McNiven and Halford take charge for the first time at home to Hinckley.

And Elliott, despite the pivotal stage of the season, was not surprised at Tolson's exit, after revealing the now-departed Tigers boss had told him before the two teams played at Marston Road on March 5 that he was expecting to leave.

Hyde then went and beat Rangers 5-0 with Tolson lasting another six games before the axe fell, but Elliott is still not convinced their most immediate rivals will perish without him.

He said: "Of course, I keep an eye on them, Hyde have had a rough ride and we will see whether that affects them.

"It probably won't have that much affect, in the short term at least, because Halford and McNiven have taken over and the players already know them.

"In all honesty, I was speaking to Neil Tolson before the game when we played them and he was at a low ebb then, believe it or not, but then they went and got the result they did against us.

"He was saying them it was going to be his last game but, obviously, decided to stay a little while longer."

Rangers will field a reserve side for tonight's first leg of the Central Conference Cup quarter-final against Bromsgrove Sporting.

Callum Wright, Tom Moss, Craig Reid and goalkeeper Tom Turner - substitutes in Monday's draw at Worcester - will feature with youth-team players in the game at Marston Road.